SolarWorld, the largest U.S. crystalline-silicon solar manufacturer for more than 40 years, is now accepting applications for its 2016 SolarWorld Junior Einstein Award. The oldest and most prestigious prize for young scientists in the photovoltaic industry will be awarded for the 11th time.

HILLSBORO, Ore., Feb. 10, 2016 - SolarWorld, the largest U.S. crystalline-silicon solar manufacturer for more than 40 years, is now accepting applications for its 2016 SolarWorld Junior Einstein Award. The oldest and most prestigious prize for young scientists in the photovoltaic industry will be awarded for the 11th time.

The honor not only offers an appreciative cash prize, but it also opens many doors for young scientists: As part of the award ceremony, winners meet important personalities in the photovoltaic industry.

Last years Junior Einstein Award winner, Michael Rauer, says his honor represented the highlight of his scientific career to date. "It is nice to see that my work is considered valuable by leading representatives of the photovoltaic industry, and that the results are being applied in practice," Rauer says. "For me, the award ceremony was an outstanding end for my work, through which I have come into contact with many renowned scientists in my field."

At the annual ceremony, the company also bestows the SolarWorld Einstein Award upon a figure who has done much to advance solar energy for the betterment of the human race. U.S. winners have included Molly and George Greene III, founders of the water-relief nonprofit Water Mission, which uses solar to power remote water pumps, and Bill Yerkes, a solar-industry pioneer whose 1975 startup Solar Technology International began the 41-year U.S. industrial lineage of SolarWorld. Yerkes was honored in 2015 after his death in 2014.

Students in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, renewable energy, engineering, chemistry, physics or similar areas - who have completed a thesis focused on solar technology or a related area - are eligible to apply for the Junior Einstein prize, if their scientific thesis was written in German or English between April 2015 and April 2016.

The deadline for applications is April 29, 2016. This year, the prize will once again be presented at a celebratory event during the solar trade show Intersolar in late June in Munich, Germany.

Find more information and the application here.

About SolarWorld REAL VALUE: SolarWorld manufactures and sells high-tech solar power solutions and, in doing so, contributes to a cleaner energy supply worldwide. The group, headquartered in Bonn, Germany, employs about 3,800 people and carries out production in Freiberg, Germany; Arnstadt, Germany; and Hillsboro, Oregon, USA. From raw material silicon to solar wafers, cells and modules, SolarWorld manages all stages of production ‒ including its own research and development. Through an international distribution network with locations in the United States, Europe, Singapore, Japan and South Africa, SolarWorld supplies customers all over the world. The company maintains high social standards at all locations across the globe, and it has committed itself to resource- and energy-efficient production. SolarWorld was founded in 1998 and has been publically traded on the stock market since 1999. Connect with SolarWorld on Facebook, Twitter and www.solarworld.com.